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   serve

   /səːv/

   verb

   • 1. perform duties or services for (another person or an organization): "Malcolm has served the church very faithfully" Similar work forbe in the service ofperform duties forbe employed byhave a job withobeybe obedient tocarry out the wishes ofbe of service tobe of use tohelpgive help toassistgive assistance toaidlend a hand togive a helping hand todo a good turn tomake a contribution todo one's bit fordo something forbenefitminister tosuccourbe a member ofwork onbe onsit onhave/hold a place onperform duties oncarry out duties on
   • ▪ provide (an area or group of people) with a product or service: "a hospital which serves a large area of Wales"
   • ▪ be employed as a member of the armed forces: "he had hoped to serve with the Medical Corps"
   • ▪ spend (a period) in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison: "he is serving a ten-year jail sentence" Similar carry outperformdofulfilcompletedischargespendgo through
   • 2. present (food or drink) to someone: "they serve wine instead of beer" Similar dish up/outgive outdistributeset outplate upspoon outladle outpresentprovidesupplymake available
   • ▪ present (someone) with food or drink: "the cafe refused to serve him with the tea" Similar act as waiter/waitresswaitdistribute food/refreshmentsinformal:sling hashsling plates
   • ▪ (of food or drink) be enough for: "the recipe serves four people"
   • ▪ attend to (a customer in a shop): British "she turned to serve the impatient customer" Similar attend togive one's attention toattend to the requirements ofdeal withsee toassisthelplook aftertake care of
   • ▪ supply (goods) to a customer.
   • ▪ act as a server at the celebration of the Eucharist.
   • ▪ play (a trick) on (someone): archaic "I remember the trick you served me"
   • 3. deliver (a document such as a summons or writ) in a formal manner to the person to whom it is addressed: "he said his lawyer would serve a writ to the multinational corporation within a week"
   • ▪ deliver a document to (the addressee) in a formal manner: "they were just about to serve him with a writ" Similar deliver topresent withgive tohand over tocause to accept
   • 4. be of use in achieving or satisfying: "this book will serve a useful purpose" Similar sufficebe adequatebe good enoughbe all rightfit/fill the billdoanswerbe usefulserve a purposemeet requirementssuit
   • ▪ be of some specified use: "the square now serves as the town's chief car park" Similar act asfunction asfulfil the function ofdo duty asdo the work ofact as a substitute for
   • ▪ treat (someone) in a specified way: "Cornish homeowners wonder if they are being fairly served" Similar treatdeal withact towardsbehave towardsconduct oneself towardshandle
   • ▪ (of a male breeding animal) copulate with (a female).
   • 5. (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play for each point of a game: "he tossed the ball up to serve"
   • 6. bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it.
   • 7. operate (a gun): "before long Lodge was the only man in his section able to serve the guns"

   noun

   • 1. (in tennis and other racket sports) an act of hitting the ball or shuttlecock to start play: "he was let down by an erratic serve"
   • 2. a reprimand: informal Australian "he would be willing to give the country a serve in an English newspaper"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French servir, from Latin servire, from servus ‘slave’.

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • S

     1

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • V

     4

   • E

     1

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